Tours

BMW Manufacturing Donates Robots for Educational Use

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - 06/12/2002

BMW Manufacturing Corp. has donated 42 robots and robot controllers to the South Carolina Department of Education to be used in vocational schools throughout the state.

The Education Department has identified 16 vocational schools to receive the robots for use in the statewide Vocational Technologies program. ABB, the robot manufacturer, has donated sets of training and user manuals.

The robots are now used in the Body Shop for the Z3 roadster, which will end production later this month. Two BMW associates suggested that the robots be donated to the vocational schools rather than scrapping them.

“Education is a key to preparing the future workforce, and these robots will be a great asset in developing students’ technical skills and experiences with robotics,” said Robert Hitt, BMW’s manager for Media and Public Affairs.

“This is a great partnership between BMW and South Carolina’s secondary schools,” said B.T. Martin, who works with vocational school programs at the Department of Education. “It is an opportunity for schools to get state-of-the-art technology while preparing kids for the work force. It is an excellent opportunity.”

The recipient schools are:

Aiken County Career Center

Career and Technology Center in Anderson County

Thunderbolt Career Center in Colleton County

Donaldson Career Center in Greenville County

J. Harley Bonds Career Center in Greenville County

Applied Technology Center in Kershaw County

Marion County Technical Education Center

Newberry County Career Center

Orangeburg Career Center

B.J. Skelton Career Center in Pickens County

Heyward Career Center in Richland County

Daniel Morgan Technology Center in Spartanburg County

H. B. Swofford Career Center in Spartanburg County

R.D. Anderson Technology Center in Spartanburg County

Sumter County Career Center

Hemingway Area Vocational Center in Williamsburg County

The schools will have the robots ready for use at the centers by mid-July.

BMW Manufacturing Corp. is a subsidiary of BMW AG, Munich. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW’s North American subsidiaries include an information technology consulting and systems integration firm in South Carolina; sales, marketing and financial operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; a production facility in Mexico; and a design firm in California.